Agriculture
‘Malaysia Did Not Get Palm Seedlings From Nigeria’
The Nigerian Institute for
Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) has debunked insinuations that Malaysia obtained its first palm fruits/ seedlings from Nigeria.
Dr Christy Okwuagwu, the Director, Production at the institute, denied the rumour while conducting media fellows round the institute’s research projects in Benin recently.
The fellows were sponsored by the ‘Biosciences for Farming in Africa’, an international non-profit organisation.
The facility visit was aimed at assessing the level of research on oil palm at the institute.
Okwuagwu told our correspondent on the sidelines of the visit that Malaysia couldn’t have taken seedlings from Nigeria through NIFOR because the country was advanced in oil palm production before the establishment of NIFOR.
“It is a story that is always carried around that Malaysia came to NIFOR to get seeds and now Malaysia has overtaken Nigeria.
“There is no way to assume that Malaysians came to Nigeria and got planting material and now they have overtaken us, they never did.
“People say it carelessly and they believe it.
“This is one of the very basic information I want to debunk in every situation because we know truly that it was through the Dutch expedition that the Malaysians had this planting material in the 19th century.
“NIFOR actually existed because of the threat that Malaysia posed to a continuous exploitation of wild grooves.”
Okwuagwu, who is the oldest scientist in the institute, also backed up her claim with historical references.
She showed evidence through the documentations of a book titled “The Oil Palm’’, authored by R.H.V. Corley and P.B. Tinker.
“The origin of the very original planting materials in Malaysia.
“The earliest record of introduction of palms into South East Asia was first seedlings planted in Bogo Botanical Garden in 1848 in Jaba in the Dutch East Indies.
“Two of these were from Amsterdam Botanical Garden but it is not known how they originated, the other two from Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
“The palms that sprang from these four seedlings were all quite similar and it has been supposed that they were all originally produced from Amsterdam, through some African unknown origin.
“These four seedlings — they formed the entire source of the planting material in Malaysia.
“That is why we say that the entire population of the planting material in Malaysia are very narrow genetic base; we don’t normally depend entirely on them for breeding and development.
“Actually, it is necessary that they depend on us and subsequent materials to improve their planting material.
“The original materials never came from Nigeria; they came from Dutch expedition of the early 19th century.
“And because of the fact that the crop had economic advantage in their land, they started multiplying these seedlings and raising them as plantation crops; they don’t have natural populations; this is the source of everything in South East Asia.”
For Nigeria, the director said policy instability and inadequate funding and land provision, were the major factors militating against the growth of the oil palm industry.
“African countries are being characterised with instability of policies. This instability of policies and development have hindered the progress in plantation development.
“Concerted efforts have not been made over the years.
“The industry in this country has not grown in comparison to the rate at which recent development has grown; the oil boom became a doom because palm produce became relatively unimportant to our total economic well-being.
“We are totally dependent on petroleum and so efforts to establish plantations and go forward with this crop will not grow.
“Irregular interventions do not sustain development; this crop which is native to us we have not done it the good that we should have done to it; other countries who have embraced it, have seen progress.
“Our environment is not the best compared to South East Asia; but we have planting materials which are so good and their yield are very comparable to the average yield in South East Asia.
“It is to get the industry committed to the development of this crop.”
She further called for the resuscitation of all economic crops in the country to boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange.
“People should go into plantation development, it stabilises the environment. We are talking about pollution, ozone depletion, the oil palm is one single crop that cleanses the environment.
“Malaysia prides itself as one of the best environments in the world because everywhere is green, the tree has a beautiful shading effect against the ozone.
“I am making a clarion call that people should please go back to our heritage.
“Let the groundnut pyramids come up in the North; let the cocoa boom come to the West while in the East and in the Mid-West, let the oil palm industry thrive.
“The goodness of it is that the oil palm has grown beyond the East and Mid-West; Nasarawa is a beautiful example.
“Taraba – the whole strip along the Mambilla is excellent, just like the same in Malaysia, good soil, good rainfall, excellent soil but people are not planting; people should please go back to our heritage.”
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
